Lunenburg Part 1 - Introduction and Background August 30.pdf

Atlantic Climate Adaptation Solutions Association
Solutions d'adaptation aux changements climatiques pour l'Atlantique
Municipality of the District of Lunenburg:
A Case Study in Climate Change Adaptation
By
Eric Rapaport, Patricia Manuel, Michaela Cochran, Jonathan Critchley, J. Alec Johnston,
Justin Muise & Zoë Wollenberg
School of Planning, Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia
May 2012
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PART 1
Introduction and Background
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Report: This report was commissioned by the Atlantic Climate Adaptation Solutions Association
(ACASA), a non-profit organization formed to coordinate project management and planning for
climate change adaptation initiatives in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and
Newfoundland and Labrador and supported through the Regional Adaptation Collaborative, a
joint undertaking between the Atlantic provinces, Natural Resources Canada and regional
municipalities and other partners.
Project management: Climate Change Directorate, Nova Scotia Department of Environment,
5151 Terminal Road, PO Box 442, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 2P8
Disclaimer: This publication is not to be used without permission, and any unauthorized use is
strictly prohibited. ACASA, the authors, the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince
Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Regional Adaptation Collaborative are not
responsible for any unauthorized use that may be made of the information contained therein.
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of ACASA, its
associated provinces, or other partners of the Regional Adaptation Collaborative.
The School of Planning, Dalhousie University makes no representations, express or implied, as
to the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of the information, maps, and data contained
herein. The data are for informational purposes only and should not be used for legal,
engineering, or surveying purposes. Decisions made from such information are the responsibility
of the user. The School of Planning, Dalhousie University assumes no responsibility for its use.
The user may not re-sell, sub-license, or otherwise reproduce, publish or disseminate for
commercial purposes data available through this report.
The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg advises that all data provided for use in this report
and are generally believed to be accurate and the best information available. They may,
however, occasionally prove to be incorrect, incomplete or out-of-date; thus data accuracy is not
guaranteed.
The utility pole and line data obtained from Nova Scotia Power Inc. provide reference to
equipment for the purpose of performing services. At any given time the configuration of the
actual power system may vary from this representation. The utility pole and line data should not
be relied upon for personal safety.
Acknowledgements: Dalhousie University, School of Planning ACAS project team thanks the
Nova Scotia Department of Environment for the opportunity to contribute to the ACAS program
and to assist in building municipal capacity to address climate change impacts. In particular, we
thank Mr. Will Green, Dr. Dan Walmsley and Ms. Kyla Milne for their guidance and support
throughout the course of these projects.
The research assistants to the projects were honours undergraduate and graduate students in
the professional planning programs of the School of Planning. The skill development and training
afforded to them through participation in ACAS is exemplary of partnerships in educating young
professionals in adaptation planning. The School of Planning, Dalhousie University thanks NS
Department of Environment for this outstanding opportunity.
The project team thanks Mr. Jeff Merrill, Acting Director of Planning for the Municipality of the
District of Lunenburg and other municipal staff, for welcoming us to their community, providing
us with local support, and facilitating our work wherever assistance was needed. Thank you too,
to municipal councilors for promoting our projects in the community and to their council
colleagues. Like NS Department of Environment, the District of Lunenburg has been
instrumental in furthering the education of our student research assistants.
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Thank you also to the managers and professionals of the various other government departments
and non-government agencies with a stake in climate change adaptation planning who provided
their time and knowledge to this project
And, thank you to the many residents of the District of Lunenburg who showed interest in our
work, who participated in the project, and who gave their time, knowledge and insights to
identifying the risks, challenges and opportunities of climate change impacts.
Cover page photo credit: Zoë Wollenberg
This report is available for download from the ACASA website at: www.atlanticadaptation.ca
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Executive Summary
The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg is one of 13 municipalities in Nova Scotia that
participated in the Atlantic Climate Adaptation Solutions (ACAS) initiative. ACAS involves
government and non-government partners working collaboratively to help Atlantic Canadian
communities build adaptive capacity to meet the challenges of climate change. The objective of
ACAS is “to create resources and processes that facilitate routine consideration of the
adaptation measures that will guide land use and protect valuable infrastructure now and in the
future.” 1 Researchers in the School of Planning, Dalhousie University conducted a series of
projects to assist the municipalities in building this adaptive capacity. This report presents a
compilation of these projects and is organized into two major parts: Part 1, Introduction and
Background; and Part 2, comprising six constituent study reports.
The researchers examined the vulnerability of the natural and built environment of the
Municipality of the District of Lunenburg coastline to future sea level rise and storm surge
flooding and identified the consequences of inundation and flooding for physical infrastructure
and valued social assets, implications for vulnerable populations, and the capacity of the
municipal government to address the anticipated impacts and plan proactively to avoid the
negative consequences of future impacts. The results of the work are: a substantial data base
that catalogues and illustrates physical infrastructure and valued social assets at risk in the years
2025 and 2100; an understanding of how residents and community decision-makers value
assets the same, or differently, with implications for decisions around adaptation measures and
priorities in the future; identification of the distribution of vulnerable populations in the community
and the relationship between this distribution and that of sea level rise inundation and storm
surge flooding; and an assessment of the existing capacity of the Municipality of the District of
Lunenburg to adapt to climate change through planning policy and legislation, planning practice,
governance and intra- and inter-governmental and other linkages.
Based on the most recent peer-reviewed interpretations of global and local sea level rise
science, the District of Lunenburg should prepare for a 0.18 m rise in sea level by 2025 and
between 1.46 to 1.85 m by 2100 depending on which research report is used to assess
scenarios. Under extreme storm conditions, storm surge elevations could reach 3.47 m by 2025
and 5.14 m by 2100. Under these conditions, extensive areas of the coastline will experience
permanent or temporary flooding. For example, by 2025, 132 m of provincial road in the
Municipality could be inundated and 35,198 m could be flooded in the most severe storms. By
2100, the lengths increase to160 m for inundation and 58,347 m for storm surge flooding. Other
significant infrastructure that could be impacted in the Municipality includes four bridges
impacted by inundation and eight during extreme storm conditions in 2025; in 2100 the numbers
rise to five bridges impacted through inundation and nine bridges by storm surge flooding. Other
important infrastructure that could be impacted includes culverts and wharves. Natural
environments will also be affected including beaches and wetlands.
Climate change adaptation planning commonly accounts for impacts on community assets with
high economic value and assets that support critical public services such as transportation,
communication and power distribution. There are also places and spaces that are important to
community life that may not attract attention for their economic or public service function; they
are still important and relevant to the well-being of the community, however.
1 Atlantic Climate Adaptation Solutions Assocation, n.d.
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During community workshops and while visiting a community engagement booth, local residents
identified places and spaces that they consider important to community life. Frequently identified
social assets included Lunenburg District’s many beaches, parks, trails and fishing and boating
areas. Many residents described the entire coastline as an important social asset, noting
nearness to the ocean, picturesque coastal communities, and the healthy natural environment as
valued features. Spending time near the water, as well as enjoying scenic walks, bicycle
excursions and drives, are important recreational activities in the District of Lunenburg.
In all, residents of the Municipality identified a total of 284 social assets through the mapping
exercises. Of that total, 148 are affected in the sea level rise and storm surge scenarios
generated for the Lunenburg District ACAS projects. One-hundred and eight social assets are
affected by sea level rise inundation and extreme storm surge scenarios with the rest (40)
impacted only by the most extreme storm surge. Fifty-one of the affected assets are located
outside the area covered by the flood scenarios generated using LiDAR data. These assets do,
however, lie between 0 and 5 m elevation, as measured from contour interval mapping and are
thus at an elevation impacted in the extreme storm surge scenarios.
The impacts of sea level rise and storm surge will vary for different types of assets. Some could
be destroyed or damaged significantly: board walks are vulnerable to such impacts; sensitive
coastal features such as beaches and wetlands that do not have the opportunity to adjust
through land-ward migration are particularly vulnerable. Other features may suffer temporary
impacts (road flooding, for example).
Two-thirds of identified valued assets are at risk and many of these features hold strong
significance for the area. The District of Lunenburg may use the database of social assets to
ensure that places and spaces that contribute to community life and enjoyment are considered in
climate change adaptation planning.
Residents and decisions makers in the District of Lunenburg generally agree on the type of
assets that contribute to a sense of community, community enjoyment and community wellbeing.
Residents placed beaches, beach and coastal access and walking, bicycling and hiking
trails at the top of the list of features and experiences significant to the community. Decisionmakers,
too, consistently and frequently referred to beaches as the primary social asset of the
area. They also identified fire halls and community halls for their social (meeting) function as well
as their utilitarian purpose in providing emergency service and shelter.
Residents of the Municipality will experience the impacts of climate change to varying degrees
and some impacts will affect some people more significantly than others. Some people will have
the individual or collective capacity to avoid impacts altogether or recover from them quickly.
Others in the population will not. Factors influencing vulnerability include age, income,
employment status, level of education, ethnicity, and gender, among others. There are people in
the District of Lunenburg who, because of a combination of risk factors and circumstances, are
vulnerable in difficult events or circumstances.
The Municipality’s extensive and irregular coastline results in high exposure to the impacts of
sea level rise and storm surge. Sea level rise alone could disrupt access in some areas, and
hundreds of residences could be either inundated or isolated under the storm surge scenarios.
Fortunately, few services that socially vulnerable populations rely on in the District of Lunenburg
are likely to be impacted. Damage to roads and power lines are a significant concern, and could
increase social vulnerability by causing loss of electrical power, the isolation of residents from
essential services, and disrupted access by emergency services. Lack of land use planning in
the majority of the District of Lunenburg allows new construction in at-risk locations, increasing
the number of residents who could be directly affected.
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The assessment of social vulnerability provides the Municipality with the knowledge necessary to
incorporate considerations of social vulnerability into emergency management planning.
Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of various geographic areas will allow emergency
management planners to target each area with the most appropriate type of assistance, in order
to reduce overall vulnerability.
A key strategy of climate change adaptation is to decrease vulnerability and risk through land
use and development practices that are responsive to the climate change impacts. Strategies
include a combination of avoiding or moving back from vulnerable locations (such as those
prone to flooding and erosion), employing designs that take into consideration challenging
conditions (such as elevating structures where flooding might occur) and protecting valuable
infrastructure or spaces (with natural or engineered barriers) when other options are not practical
for the circumstance or available. The main concern is to reduce the risk to people and property
and to protect the natural processes and structures that provide resilience to impacted
environments. Understanding the extent of impacts and vulnerability and having the planning
and management tools available to respond are key elements of adaptation capacity.
The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg has varied capacity with its current governance,
administrative and legislative structures and tools to adapt to coastal climate change impacts.
The municipality has strengths in its governance and administrative capacities. There is a
generally high level of awareness among council members and municipal staff regarding climate
change and its impacts in the Municipality. Many have become attuned to climate change
through the ACAS projects but, even prior to these projects, also through the integrated
community sustainability plan (ICSP) making process. Staff is highly trained in climate change
impacts and aware of planning tools and best practices for implementing adaptation. The
Municipality operates jointly with other municipalities or agencies in initiatives of direct relevance
to climate change adaptation (notably emergency response planning). For planning initiatives,
the Municipality identifies climate change adaptation as an objective in its ICSP, has taken full
advantage of the ACAS program, and is underway with its Municipal Climate Change Action
Plan. In formal plans and legislation, the Municipality’s strongest tools are the Open Space
Strategy and the zoning and land use by-laws for coastal land protection, and environmental
protection in the secondary plans of three coastal communities. Otherwise, the Municipality must
rely on provincial legislation for the remainder of the municipality to achieve some protection of,
at the very least, sensitive coastal environments.
The most important constraint to climate change adaptation planning in the District of Lunenburg
is the lack of comprehensive land use planning across the Municipality and along the majority of
its coastline. Staff recognizes this limitation. The District of Lunenburg is a rural municipality of
many small communities each with its own traditions. Private land use control is culturally
significant in this municipality and council and staff respect this community concern. However,
development at the coast is now more intense than in the past and private infrastructure is
placing people and environments at risk in a time of uncertain future climate and coastal
conditions. Indications are the conditions will become more hazardous.
The other major constraint is the lack of control over critical transportation infrastructure planning
in the Municipality. For this, the Municipality must rely on the Department of Transportation and
Infrastructure Renewal because most of the roads within the District of Lunenburg are under
provincial jurisdiction. While on the surface this arrangement may seem like a benefit, financially,
the problems emerge where locally significant access is at risk (in a flood or erosion prone area)
but not a priority at the provincial level, or where land development and transportation planning
are not easily coordinated.
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Broadening land use planning in the Municipality, perhaps by first targeting the most vulnerable
coastal areas, will increase the municipality’s capacity to adapt to climate change impacts. The
information supplied through the ACAS projects will support such an adaptation action. Private
land owners need information and support for adaptation actions too. Private land interests are
strong along Lunenburg District’s coastline. The Municipality should identify opportunities for
partnerships with land owner groups, or organizations that work with land owners, to develop
coordinated responses to flooding and erosion.
The potential vulnerability of coastal roads in the Municipality will require coordination with
provincial transportation planners and managers to identify at risk routes and a strategy for
maintenance and protection or other necessary actions that could include closure or
realignment.
The results of the ACAS projects presented in this report provide the Municipality of the District
of Lunenburg with some supportive information it needs to understand: the extent of coastal
climate change impacts, notably inundation and storm surge flooding; the infrastructure and land
uses at risk; the flood risk to significant structures and spaces in the community; the
vulnerabilities of the population to the impacts; and the existing capacity of local government to
manage the impacts, to protect people and property from harm, and to ensure that natural
environmental processes and structures are resilient and can adapt to the pending changes.
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Table of Reports
Part 1
Introduction and Background
Eric Rapaport, Patricia Manuel, Michaela Cochran, Jonathan Critchley, J. Alec Johnston, Justin
Muise & Zoe Wollenberg
Part 2
Section 1: Future Sea Level Rise and Extreme Water Level Scenarios for the Municipality
of the District Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Jonathan Critchley, Justin Muise, Eric Rapaport & Patricia Manuel
Section 2: Physical Infrastructure at Risk of Flooding due to Climate Change Induced Sea
Level Rise and Extreme Water Levels in the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg,
Nova Scotia
Justin Muise, Jonathan Critchley, Eric Rapaport & Patricia Manuel
Section 3: Social Asset Identification and Climate Change Impact Risk Mapping in the
Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Michaela Cochran, Zoë Wollenberg, Patricia Manuel & Eric Rapaport
Section 4: Incorporating Social Value into Climate Change Adaptation Planning in the
Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia,
Zoë Wollenberg, Eric Rapaport & Patricia Manuel
Section 5: Social Vulnerability to Climate Change in the Municipality of the District of
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Michaela Cochran, Patricia Manuel & Eric Rapaport
Section 6: Exploring Capacity for Adaptation in the Municipality of the District of
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
J. Alec Johnston, Patricia Manuel & Eric Rapaport
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Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
TABLE OF REPORTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
III
VIII
IX
INTRODUCTION 1
REPORT STRUCTURE 2
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES 4
METHODOLOGY AND APPROACH 5
BACKGROUND - CLIMATE CHANGE, ADAPTATION AND THE LUNENBURG STUDY AREA
CONTEXT 7
COASTAL CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS IN NOVA SCOTIA 7
ADAPTABILITY AND ADAPTATION 9
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLANNING 10
THE LUNENBURG STUDY AREA 11
LOCATION 11
SETTLEMENT AND LAND USE PATTERNS 11
SOCIETY AND ECONOMY 14
ENVIRONMENT 15
CONCLUSION
ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
REFERENCES 17
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Introduction
The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, located in Lunenburg County along the ‘South
Shore’ of Nova Scotia, Canada (Figure 1), is one of 13 municipalities in Nova Scotia that
participated in the Atlantic Climate Adaptation Solutions (ACAS) initiative. ACAS comprises
government and non-government partners working collaboratively to help Atlantic Canadian
communities build adaptive capacity to meet the challenges of climate change. Researchers in
the School of Planning, Dalhousie University conducted a series of projects under ACAS to
assist the District of Lunenburg in building its adaptive capacity. This report is a compilation of
these projects.
The researchers examined the vulnerability of the natural and built environment of the District of
Lunenburg coastal zone to future sea level rise and storm surge flooding and identified the
consequences of inundation and flooding for physical infrastructure and valued social assets, the
implications for vulnerable populations, and the capacity of the municipal government to address
the anticipated impacts and plan proactively to avoid the negative consequences of future
impacts. The results of the work are: a substantial data base that demonstrates physical
infrastructure and valued social assets at risk in the years 2025 and 2100; an understanding of
how the public and community decision-makers value assets the same, or differently, with
implications for decisions around adaptation measures and priorities in the future; identification
of the distribution of vulnerable populations in the community and the relationship between this
distribution and that of sea level rise inundation and storm surge flooding; and an assessment of
the existing capacity of the Municipality to adapt to climate change through planning policy and
legislation, planning practice, and intra- and inter-governmental and other linkages.
The information and findings of the studies are immediately useful to the Municipality as it
develops its Municipal Climate Change Action Plan and builds adaptive capacity through land
use and development policies and practices, prioritizes actions to address infrastructure and
assets at risk, or supports populations who are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The
studies also serve as an example for other municipalities of the information needs and methods
to identify hazards, risks and vulnerabilities, particularly as they relate to coastal climate change
impacts. Other adaptation researchers and practitioners may wish to test the methods employed
in these projects. Overall, the findings of the projects contribute to the growing body of
information and knowledge about climate change impacts in coastal communities, including the
significance of the impacts for natural and built environment assets, the potential implications for
vulnerable populations, and the capacity of local government to protect its citizens and valued
assets and manage future land use and development in anticipation of a retreating coastline and
more extensive coastal flooding.
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Figure 1: The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg is located on the south shore of Nova
Scotia and is within the County of Lunenburg. It is bordered to the east by the Municipality of the
District of Chester, to the west by the Region of Queens Municipality and surrounds the towns of
A) Bridgewater, B) Lunenburg, and C) Mahone Bay (Data Source: Province of Nova Scotia,
2004).
Report Structure
This report is a compilation of the studies that comprise the District of Lunenburg ACAS projects
undertaken by the Dalhousie University project team. It is organized into two major parts Part 1,
Introduction and Background; and Part 2, comprising six constituent study reports.
Part 1 provides an Introduction and Background to the District of Lunenburg ACAS projects and
presents the rationale for the work, its contribution to the objectives of the ACAS program, and
the general methodological context for the linked studies (the study area, the time frame, the
data resources and methods used). A brief overview of coastal climate change impacts in Nova
Scotia and a primer on adaptation planning set the context for the project rationale. A description
of the Lunenburg study area establishes the local environmental, social, economic and political
context for the projects.
Part 2 compiles the component studies of the District of Lunenburg ACAS project. Each project
has its own discreet section, as follows:
Section 1 describes the work and findings that establish the future coastal environmental
conditions that focus most of the analyses that follow: local sea level rise and storm surge flood
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scenarios for the years 2025 and 2100. In this project, we developed scenarios for each of
these two years using the best available peer-reviewed studies to date of sea level rise
predictions globally and locally combined with LiDAR elevation data and elevation models
compiled for the ACAS project areas. We calculated and illustrated local coastline retreat with
rising sea surface elevation and the reach of storm surge flood waters during extreme and
benchmark storms.
Section 2 presents the spatial analysis of the extent and types of physical infrastructure
potentially impacted by sea level rise and storm surges under the worst case scenarios
presented in Part 2, Section 1. The analysis includes impact to hard infrastructure such as roads
and sewers as well as soft infrastructure such as parks and beaches. The discussion
emphasizes the error, known as representation error. The error arises where linear features,
such as a road, in reality also have a surface area but in the cartographic (or GIS) environment
are represented as a line. The work provides guidance to the municipalities on setting priorities
to protect, reinforce or move infrastructure at risk and plan for future infrastructure development.
Section 3 presents the work of identifying social assets vulnerable to climate change impacts.
The inventory and assessment involved residents in naming and mapping assets they consider
important to the character, experience and quality life in the communities that comprise the
Municipality of the District of Lunenburg. Residents identified a very wide range of assets from
physical structures such as community centres and trails, to environmental spaces such as
beaches and wetlands, to experiences such as coastal hikes. We overlaid the inventory of
assets with the inundation and flood scenarios to interpret what assets could be impacted by
higher water levels and storm surge flooding in 2025 and 2100.
Section 4 presents the work of valuing the assets using a ranking approach. Residents identified
and ranked assets important to them through a questionnaire survey. Interviews with decision
makers revealed priorities for social assets among this group. We compared the valued assets
and rankings of the public and the decision makers to determine convergence and divergence in
priorities. Knowing where there is agreement or differences is important for establishing priorities
in addressing climate change impacts. The material presented in this section is adapted from an
independent study research paper prepared by graduate student Zoe Wollenberg as part of the
Master of Planning degree at Dalhousie University.
Section 5 presents the analysis of social vulnerability in the District of Lunenburg, focusing on
vulnerability to sea level rise and storm surge flooding. The section presents an overview of
social vulnerability and determinants, and presents the results and analysis of using Statistics
Canada census data to map the spatial distribution of vulnerable populations in the study area
and relate the existing distribution to flood prone locations. It also considers associated concerns
such as impacts to physical access (e.g. routes to emergency centres, community centres,
health care centres) that might increase vulnerability for certain populations. The discussion
considers the application of the findings to planning supports for vulnerable populations or
avoidance strategies through land use planning. The material presented in this section is
adapted from an independent study research paper prepared by graduate student Michaela
Cochran as part of the Master of Planning degree at Dalhousie University.
Section 6 is an examination of municipal capacity in the District of Lunenburg to adapt to climate
change. This study considered the capacity inherent in existing planning and related policies and
legislation, administration structure and external partnerships (such as links to other
municipalities, other levels of government or service agencies). Documents analysis and
consultation with municipal staff and professionals in other government agencies of relevance to
climate change adaptation were used to determine existing planning tools available to address
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climate change impacts, well as the level of awareness about climate change and its impacts,
and the degree of intra- and inter-agency collaboration or capacity for collaboration.
Rationale and Objectives
The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg projects seek to expand the capacity of the
Municipality to respond to the challenges of climate change, specifically coastal flooding, in
keeping with the objective of the ACAS program which is: “to create resources and processes
that facilitate routine consideration of the adaptation measures that will guide land use and
protect valuable infrastructure now and in the future.” To this end, we undertook six studies
(reported here as the six Sections, previously identified) organized into three main projects with
the following objectives:
Project 1 – (Sea Level Rise Scenarios study and Infrastructure study) to identify
inundation and flooding impacts to physical infrastructure in the community and the
implications of these impacts:
calculate and map sea level rise and storm surge scenarios for the Municipality of
the District of Lunenburg coastline for years 2025 and 2100;
identify and illustrate the spatial distribution and extent of the physical
infrastructure at risk to sea level rise and storm surge in 2025 and 2100; and
quantify the spatial extent of the infrastructure at risk.
Project 2 - (Social Assets Mapping study, Social Assets Valuation study, Social
Vulnerability study) to identify the social impacts of climate change in the Municipality of
the District of Lunenburg by studying impacts to valued community assets and by
documenting the social vulnerability of District citizens to climate change:
identify and map social assets in the District;
identify their vulnerability to sea level rise and storm surge;
establish the relative value of the social assets as ranked by citizens and
identified by decision-makers;
define and spatially delineate social vulnerability in the District; and
determine the direct and indirect spatial relationships between vulnerable
populations and sea level rise and storm surge flooding scenarios.
Project 3 – (Municipal Adaptation Capacity study) to identify the Municipality of the
District of Lunenburg’s capacity to adapt to climate change:
examine the suitability for adaptation of existing tools available in planning and
related policies and regulations;
identify awareness of climate change impacts generally and locally among
municipal staff and officials;
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identify actual and opportunities for exchange and collaboration within municipal
government; and
identify actual and potential opportunities for exchange and collaboration between
and through the capacity that exists from awareness among municipal staff.
Methodology and Approach
The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg provides a case study that highlights the numerous
climate change challenges facing a coastal rural municipality, as well as an illustration of the
approaches to data, information, and interpretations that similar municipalities can collect and
compile to assess their approaches to climate change through adaptation. We worked closely
with the planners and technical staff of the Municipality as well as several municipal officials. As
a project partner, the Municipality’s role was to support the logistical needs of the projects.
We began our work in May 2011 and concluded in March 2012. The following is a brief overview
of the study context and the general approach used. The methods for each study are described
in detail in the component sections of this report.
Broadly defined, when also considering a review of municipal capacity, the study area for the
Lunenburg area ACAS projects comprises the whole of the District of Lunenburg. Practically,
however, our work focused on, or was largely interpreted within, the context of a 149 square
kilometer swath of coastline for which LiDAR data had been collected. The swath extends from
Broad Cove in the west to the eastern boundary of the municipality, as shown in Figure 2. The
ACAS initiative mandate in Nova Scotia was to build capacity to adapt to climate change induced
coastal and inland flooding. The Province acquired high resolution terrain mapping of the section
of coast line using LiDAR technology 2 , shown in Figure 2. This mapping allows for detailed
modeling of sea level rise and storm surge flood elevation scenarios and investigation of the
potential impacts to physical infrastructure, valued community assets, natural environments and
land use in this coastal zone.
The LiDAR swath covers much, but not all, of the municipality’s coastline. It does not extend up
the LaHave River estuary and it excludes some coastal communities and islands: Heckmans
Island, West and East Stonehurst, Blue Rocks, Tancook Island and other smaller islands in
Mahone Bay, Moshers Island, and Cherry Hill, Voglers Cove and the LaHave Islands at the
western extent of the Municipality. (Figure 2 identifies the coastal communities of the
Municipality).The coastal towns of Lunenburg and Mahone Bay are separate municipalities and
did not participate in the ACAS study.
We used a mixed methods approach employing a combination of quantitative and qualitative
data collection and analysis techniques. The methods (and data forms and sources) included:
Esri ArcGIS v. 10 supported spatial analysis of sea level rise and storm flood extents
(LiDAR mapping) and their interaction with built and natural environment features (digital
line, point and polygon data of municipal infrastructure, obtained from the partner
municipality);
community table-top mapping workshops and engagement booths (locating social
assets);
2 Webster et al., 2011
5

Mahone Bay
Oakland
Bridgewater
Sunnybrook
Lunenburg
Mahone
Bay
First Peninsula
Heckmans
Island
Petite Riviere
East
LaHave Rose Bay
LaHave
Riverport
Dublin Shore
Indian
Path
Lunenburg
Bay
Kingsburg
Blue Rocks
Broad Cove
Green Bay
LaHave Islands
Hartling Bay
Cherry Hill
Figure 2: Coastal communities of the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg. The
study area is defined by the boundary of the LiDAR data provided by the Province of
Nova Scotia (shown in tan). The towns of Bridgewater, Mahone Bay and Lunenburg
are interviews separate municipalities with professionals, and did municipal not participate officials, in and the representatives ACAS projects. of (Data community,
Source: business, (Source: industry, GeoNOVA; and social Google service Maps, organizations 2011; Center (perspectives of Geographic on asset Sciences value,
(COGS)). municipal adaptive capacity; knowledge of social vulnerability);
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a questionnaire-based survey of residents’ valuing of social assets (ranking social
assets);
interviews with professionals, municipal officials, and representatives of community,
business, industry, and social service organizations (perspectives on asset value,
municipal adaptive capacity; knowledge of social vulnerability);
naturalistic observation of community life (places that people frequent, places where
people are active);
observation of the condition or state of repair of infrastructure and of environmental
processes (areas of flooding and erosion);
statistical analysis of Statistics Canada 2006 Census data of population demographic
and social characteristics (determinants of social vulnerability); and
content analysis of municipal policy and plan documents and regulations (existing
planning tools for adaptation).
We conducted three site visits between May and August. We used our first visit to familiarize
ourselves with the landscape, the community form and land use; to establish contacts that would
later assist us in our primary data collection; and to arrange the transfer from the municipal data
bases of digital data for mapping infrastructure. We used our second and third site visits to field
check physical infrastructure mapping in Project 1, and to collect primary data for Projects 2
(social studies) and 3 (municipal capacity study).
Background - Climate Change, Adaptation and the
Lunenburg Study Area Context
The following section provides an overview of coastal climate change impacts in Nova Scotia, a
primer on adaptation planning, and an introduction to the settlement patterns and environments
of the Lunenburg study area. More comprehensive information on climate change impacts in the
region is available from the ACASA website atlanticadaptation.ca. Part 2, Section 1 of this report
series details sea level rise and storm surge scenarios for the Lunenburg District coastline.
A description of the Lunenburg study area establishes the local environmental, social, economic
and political context for the projects. This description of human and physical geography provides
a framework for understanding the modern land use patterns, the natural environment and the
vulnerabilities of the coastal landscape to climate change impacts.
The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg undertook a self-study as part of its participation in
the ACAS projects. This self-study provides additional information on the economic, social and
natural environment and governance and administration of the municipality 3
Coastal Climate Change Impacts in Nova Scotia
The ACAS initiative aims to develop the capacity of Atlantic Canada communities to adapt to
global warming induced environmental changes that scientists and most national governments
now believe are imminent because of centuries of burning fossil fuels. These environmental
changes – rising atmospheric and ocean temperatures and the consequent melting of glaciers
and ice caps, shifts in global, regional and local hydrologic cycles, biome shifts, and sea level
3 Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, 2012.
7

ise – are happening at much faster rates than might be expected without human influences. Our
governance and land and resource management systems are slow to adjust to these changes
and, as a result, our communities could suffer the negative consequences of the associated
impacts of accelerated environmental change.
A warming climate will have a variety of impacts on the global environment, some of which will
be focused in coastal areas. Warmer temperatures will cause expansion of ocean waters, as
well as more rapid and extensive melting of glaciers and ice sheets. Warming could also fuel
more frequent and severe storm activity 4 . Coastal areas of Nova Scotia are projected to
experience coastal flooding and accelerated erosion as a result of sea level rise, increased
storm frequency and severity, and storm surges 5 .
Over the 20 th century, average global sea levels rose about 15cm 6 . Due to the increased rate at
which warming-induced sea level rise is projected to continue, scientists predict that the 21 st
century will experience a much greater rise in average global sea levels 7 . Coastal areas are now
at risk more than ever to inundation, flooding, and erosion 8 . Several different projections for
global sea level rise exist. Based on research to 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) reports an upper limit of 0.57m by the year 2100, The IPCC projections do not,
however, account for the accelerated melting of glaciers and ice sheets. Newer findings by
Rahmstorf and Vermeer and Grinsted et al. take these factors into account, and predict higher
rates of sea level rise of 1.58m to 1.69m 9
In Nova Scotia, these impacts will be even more pronounced due to the compounding effect of
land subsidence. Since the last ice age, the Nova Scotia land mass has been adjusting to the
reduction in ice mass weighing it down in a process known as glacial isostatic adjustment. As
part of this adjustment, Nova Scotia rebounded but now the land mass is settling back down
from this initial rebound, causing Nova Scotia to sink at a rate measured at about 15cm over the
20 th century. The combination of sea level rise and land subsidence results in what is called total
relative sea level rise – the amount that the high water line has encroached upon previously dry
land. Over the 20 th century in Nova Scotia, this was about 30cm 10 . Nova Scotia is not
experiencing crustal subsidence uniformly across the provincial land mass, however, and other
factors of morphology, tidal range and coastal exposure also greatly influence the local
expression of sea level changes as well as storm surge impacts.
Sea level rise alone or in combination with storms has the capacity to impact coastal property
and infrastructure. Depending on the extent and severity of impacts the implications can have far
reaching consequences for the economy and way of life for coastal communities.
As climate change progresses and sea levels rise and storms intensify, Nova Scotia
communities will need to adapt to the changing environmental conditions of their coastal zone 11 .
The following section is an overview of adaptation planning and provides the conceptual
framework for the eventual application of the results of the projects to climate change adaptation
planning in the District of Lunenburg.
4 CCSP, 2009; Grinsted et al., 2009; Rahmstorf and Vermeer, 2009; Nova Scotia Environment, 2009;
Richardson, 2010.
5 Vasseur and Catto, 2008; Nova Scotia Environment, 2009.
6 Vasseur and Catto, 2008.
7 Government of Canada, 2006; CBCL, 2009; CCSP, 2009.
8 CBCL, 2009; CCSP, 2009.
9 Grinsted et al. 2009, Ramstorf et al. 2009.
10 CBCL, 2009; CCSP, 2009.
11 CCSP, 2009.
8

Adaptability and Adaptation
Adaptation to climate and coastal processes is not new to Nova Scotians 12 . For centuries,
inhabitants of fishing communities have constructed and maintained dykes to keep the tides out
of fertile marshlands, rebuilt wharves after destructive storms, and relocated structures further
inland with the progression of erosion. Today, much of the population remains concentrated on
the coast 13 as a result of its cultural, economic, and recreational significance 14 . Adaptation,
however, has become more difficult due to a combination of three factors:
the increased rate and intensity at which change is projected to occur 15 ;
the increased amount and permanence of land uses and structures along the coast 16 ;
and
the decreased extent of coastal buffer zones as a result of development 17 .
The culmination of these factors will cause adaptation to become more frequent, more extensive,
more difficult, and more necessary. The potential is increasing for reactive adaptation –
adaptation that occurs after a change has taken place and also referred to as maladaptation – to
cripple cities and communities.
In order to remain achievable, adaptation must become proactive 18 . But while reactive
adaptation tends to occur regardless of whether or not planning is in place to direct it, proactive
adaptation cannot occur effectively without planning to guide it. Cities and communities must
plan to adapt to climate change 19 .
Planning to adapt to climate change starts with a discussion of what it means to be adaptable.
Environmental forces and human activity have shaped one another for millennia. We have
adapted to natural processes and events around us, while modifying them in order to suit our
needs 20 . Communities, cities, and the environments in which they exist are interconnected and
interdependent webs of living and non-living components; they are social-ecological systems 21 .
The adaptability of such a system can be defined by both its resilience and its stability 22 .
Resiliency is the ability to absorb and to endure disturbance and change 23 . For a community or
city to be resilient, it must be able to recover from disturbance 24 while continuing to provide what
residents need, especially in times of crisis 25 . Resiliency alone, however, is not enough to make
a system adaptable. Extreme, forced changes can be both stressful for residents and taxing on
resources 26 . In such cases, merely enduring is not enough to make change worthwhile, and so
resiliency must be balanced with stability. Stability is the ability to return to a predictable
12 Vasseur and Catto, 2008.
13 CBCL, 2009; Nova Scotia Environment, 2009.
14 Toews, 2005; CBCL, 2009.
15 Government of Canada, 2006; CBCL, 2009; CCSP, 2009.
16 Toews, 2005; Vasseur & Catto, 2008; CCSP, 2009.
17 CCSP, 2009.
18 Burton, 2008; Richardson, 2010.
19 C-CIARN, 2004; CBCL, 2009; Bowron and Davidson, 2011.
20 Hester, 2006.
21 Folke et al., 2002.
22 Holling, 1973; Hester, 2006.
23 Holling, 1973, Folke et al., 2002.
24 Holling, 1973; Folke et al., 2002; Tompkins et al., 2005.
25 Hester, 2006.
26 Ibid.
9

equilibrium state after a disturbance 27 . For a community or city to be stable, it must be able to
retain its essence – both physical and cultural – during and after disturbance, thereby reducing
the stress incurred by its residents. The adaptability of a community or city, then, is its ability to
adjust to change while minimizing stress and expenditure of resources 28 .
Adaptation can refer to any measure that increases adaptability. Adaptation frequently involves
the physical maintenance, relocation or abandonment of existing assets or adjustments to
infrastructure and land use planning and development to avoid anticipated future impacts. It can
also broadly refer to any strategy designed to help a community cope with, and recover from,
change 29 . In the context of climate change, it is generally defined as any action made in
response to, or in anticipation of, a change in climate that reduces the negative impacts of the
change, or enhances the positive impacts 30 . The ultimate goal of adaptation planning, then, is to
ensure that negative impacts are reduced (protect, redevelop, retreat) and positive impacts are
enhanced in such a way that resource expenditure and stress are minimized.
Climate Change Adaptation Planning
Climate change adaptation planning is becoming increasingly necessary 31 , but many
municipalities are struggling with the process. There is no shortage of information regarding the
general impacts of climate change projected for various regions of Canada; Atlantic Canada –
and particularly its coastal areas – is no exception. This information has been available from the
Federal and Provincial Governments, non-governmental organizations, and academic sources
for decades. The body of knowledge surrounding these impacts continues to grow and is widely
accessible. The role of municipalities is to apply this information locally in order to identify
implications and appropriate courses of action 32 . In many cases, however, a lack of locally
relevant data, expertise, and time – particularly in smaller communities – means that adaptation
planning is unachievable without outside guidance.
In order to respond through adaptation, communities must identify possible changes to which
they may need to adapt in the future, identify potential risks and opportunities associated with
these changes, estimate which types of changes will cause the greatest amount of stress among
residents and require the greatest expenditure of resources, identify the residents that will suffer
the greatest risk (socially vulnerable residents), assess the existing municipal capacity to adapt
(governance, administration and management, land use planning), and develop new capacity if
necessary 33 .
Climate change impact scenarios enable communities to envision alternate futures and the
implications they may have for the present 34 . For coastal regions, sea level rise and storm surge
are significant climate change impacts; scenario building begins with flood risk maps for certain
timeframes. Through these maps, the physical and social assets at risk – that fall within the
flooded areas – become evident. Such assets include buildings, infrastructure, homes, services,
natural environments, and spaces that support valued experiences (such as hiking or
picnicking). Implications for physical connectivity within the community and between
27 Holling, 1973.
28 Hester, 2006.
29 Tompkins, 2005.
30 Burton, 2008; Richardson, 2008.
31 CBCL, 2009; Bowron and Davidson, 2011.
32 C-CIARN, 2004.
33 Richardson, 2010; Bowron and Davidson, 2011.
34 Folke et al., 2002.
10

communities also become apparent. Scenarios that help coastal communities envision future
coastlines and flood zones are therefore foundational information for adaptation planning.
The final section of Part 1 introduces the local environmental, social, economic and political
context for the Lunenburg projects presented in Part 2 of this report.
The Lunenburg Study Area
Location
Lunenburg County stretches along Nova Scotia’s South Shore and comprises the Municipality of
the District of Lunenburg (shaded in grey in Figure 1), the Municipality of the District of Chester,
the Town Bridgewater, the Town of Lunenburg, and the Town of Mahone Bay. The towns are all
located geographically within the District of Lunenburg, but are administered as separate
municipalities. The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg covers most of the western half of
Lunenburg County. The Municipality is predominantly rural with many small, distinct communities
(Figure 2 shows the coastal communities) and has an area of over 1,750km 2 ; a high proportion
of the land base is privately owned. Its population of over 26,000 accounts for more than half of
the population of Lunenburg County 35 .
European settlers first came to the Lunenburg area during the 17 th century, and continued to
establish settlements and communities well into the 19 th century. Drawn by the area’s rich
natural resources, settlers clustered in sheltered harbours and on the slopes of drumlins. The
area’s historically strong economy was built primarily on fishing, shipbuilding, and marine related
industries.
Today, the fishery and shipyards remain key components of the local economy, though they are
now complemented by a strong tourism sector. The natural beauty and historic character of the
area are draws for both new residents and visitors. One and a half hours southwest of Halifax,
the District of Lunenburg is accessible via the scenic Highway 3, as well as the 100-series
Highway 103.
Settlement and Land Use Patterns
The earliest inhabitants of what is now the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg were the
Mi’kmaq, who spent the winters in the forested inland areas, and summers in camps on the
coast 36 . As early as the 1500s, Europeans were drawn to the area’s rich fishery. The best
harbours eventually attracted a few permanent settlers, who fished and traded in furs, and
cleared small upland areas for food and livestock production 37 .
The first significant influx of European settlers began in 1632 when Commander Isaac de Razilly
built Fort Sainte-Marie-de-Grâce at what is now the village of La Have. Acadian settlers took
advantage of the area’s abundant fisheries, lumber resources, fertile marshlands, and easy
access to water-based trade and transportation 38 .
In the decades following the 1755 expulsion of the Acadians, the best harbor sites southwest of
Halifax were resettled by English, American and other Protestant settlers. The new settlers were
unable to maintain the dykes constructed by the Acadians for marshland agriculture.
Consequently, both the resource base and settlement patterns of the area shifted with the
population. Most of the settlers were fishermen, although they also made use of the abundant
35 Statistics Canada, 2006.
36 Dawson, 2010.
37 Dawson, 2010.
38 Bird, 1955.
11

lumber supply 39 . The Town of Lunenburg was an exception to this pattern: rather than
developing fisheries, German settlers cleared and farmed the drumlin till soils, which are the best
in the area 40 .
The Town of Lunenburg was established in 1753 by Colonel Charles Lawrence, and settled by
approximately 1,500 European Protestants recruited by the British from southern and central
Germany, Switzerland, and the Montbeliard region of France 41 . Lunenburg’s Victorian and
German architecture is remarkably well-preserved, and no significant changes have been made
to the original town plan. As a result, Lunenburg was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site
in 1995. Lunenburg remains home to Canada’s largest fish-processing plant and fleet of deepsea
trawlers 42 . Although ship-building no longer forms a significant component of the local
economy, Lunenburg is home to the famed Bluenose II tall ship and local craftsmen still
construct traditional double-dory boats 43 . The Town’s resource base is now augmented by its
tourism industry, complimented by an active artistic community.
In addition to Lunenburg, other towns in the area include the Town of Bridgewater, the Town of
Mahone Bay, while smaller settlements include the communities of LaHave, Riverport, and
Petite Riviere. North of Lunenburg, the island-filled Mahone Bay was once the site of frequent
pirate and privateer raids 44 . Beginning in 1754, foreign protestants living in Lunenburg were
allotted either 30 or 300 acres farm lots in the Mahone Bay area. Permanent homes, shops and
mills soon followed, and by the 1850s, the Town of Mahone Bay was thriving. Agriculture,
forestry, lumber-milling, shipbuilding and shipping were all components of the local economy 45 .
Today, Mahone Bay is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Nova Scotia, and is home
to numerous restaurants, bed and breakfasts, shops, and galleries. Many of the Town’s historic
homes have been thoughtfully restored. In all of the port and coastal communities, development
and activity is clustered at the water’s edge.
Founded in the early 19 th century, the Town of Bridgewater straddles the La Have River south of
Lunenburg and approximately 20km inland from the Atlantic coast. The combination of its
protected inland location and accessibility to the coast made it an ideal location for settlement.
The area features fertile drumlin hills and tree covered slopes, facilitating both agriculture and
timber harvesting; historically, the many streams in the area were used to operate mills. During
the early 20 th century the town’s economy was based on forestry and the new railway;
Bridgewater served as a hub for the South Shore region 46 . With the closure of the large wood
mill in the centre of town in 1921, and the decommissioning of the railways, Bridgewater became
highly dependent on the Michelin tire plant that opened in the early 1970s 47 . The population of
Bridgewater (including the nearby communities of Hebbville and Wileville) grew 3.1% between
1996 and 2006, to a total of 9,655. However, all population growth occurred in cohorts over the
age of 45, while losses occurred in all cohorts under 45. Rather than attempting to reverse this
trend, Bridgewater now promotes itself as a retirement destination, through resources such as
their Smart Bridgewater website, which includes a section on retiring in Bridgewater 48 .
39 Bird, 1955.
40 Bird, 1955.
41 UNESCO, 2011.
42 UNESCO, 2011.
43 UNESCO, 2011.
44 Mahone Bay Chamber of Commerce, 2010.
45 Town of Mahone Bay, 2011.
46 Town of Bridgewater. 2011.
47 Town of Bridgewater, 2011.
48 Bridgewater Development Association, 2010.
12

Closer to the coast, on the western shore of the mouth of the LaHave River, sits the community
of LaHave. Settlement began with Commander Isaac de Razilly’s establishment of Fort Sainte-
Marie-de-Grâce in 1632. The lands around La Have consist of drumlin and gravelly till, and
historically supported a mixture of soft and hardwood trees, including significant stands of oak.
The Acadians cleared some areas around La Have, including what is now Petite Rivere, for
agriculture 49 . In the 1770s, Joseph Parnette was granted a large portion of land on the west side
of the river, where he established a farm. On the east side of the river, settlers from Lunenburg
developed farm lots. Landowners constructed sawmills on streams running through their
properties; the lumber was used for construction both dwellings and ships, as well as for export.
Islands just off the coast protected the fort, and continue to provide a sheltered harbour today.
Settlement occurred in the area as a result of its rich potential for forestry, shipbuilding, fishing,
and agriculture. Because of its location on the coast, as well as the inland access provided by
the LaHave River, La Have was a centre for ship building, trade, and fishing for most of the 19th
and 20th centuries 50 . Today, forestry, fishing, agriculture, and tourism keep activity high in the
area. Despite the overall decline in salmon populations, the LaHave River is known as being one
of the best remaining salmon-fishing areas in Nova Scotia. Both residents and visitors use the
area recreationally for boating, hunting, and fishing. The pressures exerted on the watershed by
both industrial and recreational activity have led to decreased water quality and habitat health 51 .
The Riverport District, located on the Kingsburg peninsula, lies between the mouth of the
LaHave river to the southwest, and Lunenburg Bay to the northeast. The district comprises the
communities of Riverport; Lower, Middle, and East LaHave; Upper and Lower Rose Bay; Upper
and Lower Kingsburg; Bayport; and Feltzen South. Riverport’s first general store opened in 1852
and numerous others were operating by the mid-to-late 19 th century. Ship-building was an
important industry in Riverport by the early 19 th century, as was the cod fishery; by 1910 the
community had a fleet of 18 salt fishing vessels 52 . In 1861, gold was discovered in a series of
sea caverns known as the Ovens. Gold mining activities supported a town at the Ovens that, at
its height, had over a thousand miners, stores, hotels and a bank. The area is now a natural park
(Ovens Natural Park). Riverport Seafoods, a modern fresh fish processing plant, operated in the
community starting in the mid-1960s, employing over 600 people. The plant, however, was
destroyed by fire in 1981 53 .
Kingsburg, located in the Riverport District, was settled by foreign Protestants who were allotted
land in 30 acres parcels stretching back from the shore. Originally it was a fishing community,
Kingsburg’s remarkably beautiful natural setting, including two spectacular beaches, has made
the area a vacation and retirement destination. New residents are both restoring old homes and
building new ones, sometimes in highly environmental sensitive and vulnerable locations.
Kingsburg has experienced several contentious developments in the coastal dunes.
The communities of the Riverport District and LaHave area had a combined population of 4,638
in 2006 – this represents a loss of 7.4% since 1996. Population loss occurred in all cohorts
under the age of 45, while large gains (33.8-74.1%) occurred in the 50-65 cohorts 54 .
To the southwest of LaHave is the small community of Petite Rivière, named by Samuel de
Champlain when he landed there in the 17 th century. A river of the same name empties into
Green Bay, South of the Riverport area. Razilly placed a small group of French settlers in Petite
49 Bird, 1955.
50 Dawson, 2010.
51 Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation, 2011.
52 Mosher, 1985.
53 Mosher, 1985.
54 Nova Scotia Community Counts, 2011.
13

Rivière in the 1630s, but by 1745 there were only two residents remaining. The earliest English
settlers arrived in 1769. By the early 19 th century, the town’s population grew to support a church
and school; by mid-century the town had three churches and a post office 55 .
The communities of Petite Rivière, Green Bay and Crousetown had a combined population of
481 in 2006 – a loss of 6.1% from 1996. Population loss occurred in most age cohorts under 50,
while gains of over 100% occurred in age 50-60 cohorts 56 .
While traditional resources and settlement patterns are still integral to the area, the natural
beauty and historic character of the area are playing and increasingly important role in
determining settlement patterns. Today, the majority of settlement remains concentrated in the
area’s historic communities; however, there has been an increase in development close to the
coast – particularly in the Riverport and Kingsburg areas – as new residents vie for the stellar
ocean views that the area has to offer. The residence locations of fewer and fewer residents are
directly related to their place of employment. The secondary planning strategies for some areas
in the District of Lunenburg indicate that many residents now choose the location of their home
based on aesthetic considerations and preferences regarding community features.
Another recent trend in land use is the focus on spaces for leisure activity. The Lunenburg area
boasts numerous parks, public beaches, trails, and scenic viewpoints. There are 20 provincial
parks in the area, as well as the Seaside Adjunct of Kejimkujik National Park. The District of
Lunenburg also maintains several municipal parks and trails. The abundant natural beaches and
other coastal access points are a draw to the area for both residents and visitors.
The scenic beauty, delicate ecosystems, and important wildlife habitat in the Lunenburg area
have sparked the formation of several initiatives aimed at preserving both the quality and
accessibility of coastal lands. The Kingsburg Coastal Conservancy (KCC) is a group that
acquires land, primarily in the Kingsburg Beach area, in order to manage it appropriately and
protect it from development. This is important in the area, particularly as the proportion of public
land is so small. Although private, land held by the Conservancy still serves a public purpose.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has also protected parcels of land at two sites in the
Lunenburg area. Deep Cove is an area of important forest habitat and is home to several rare
lichens. It is part of a group of contiguous protected areas that includes the Province’s Blandford
Nature Reserve, as well as lands managed by the Department of National Defense. Gaff Point is
an undeveloped headland lined with beaches and coastal wetlands. In collaboration with the
KCC, the NCC has acquired and now manages this land. Both groups continue to acquire land
when possible in order to increase the level of habitat protection, though the rising price of land –
particularly on the waterfront – makes this difficult.
Society and Economy
In spite of its touristic and retirement appeal, the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg is
currently grappling with demographic and economic challenges. As is typical of both Canada and
Nova Scotia, the District’s population is aging. Although the proportion of Lunenburg District
residents over the age of 80 is very similar to the Provincial average, the proportion of District
residents under the age of 35 is lower than in the Province as a whole. The District of
Lunenburg’s population is also declining at a rate measured at -1.6% between 2001 and 2006 57 .
55 Public Archives of Nova Scotia, 1967.
56 Nova Scotia Community Counts, 2011.
57 Statistics Canada, 2006.
14

The 2006 median household income in the District was $45.088 – slightly lower than the $46,605
in Nova Scotia as a whole. The 2006 unemployment rate in the District was 9.6% - slightly higher
than the Provincial average of 9.1% 58 .
Economic activity is focused primarily in services, manufacturing, and retail, though a large
proportion of activity still occurs in agricultural and resource-based industries.
Environment
Lunenburg County borders the Atlantic Coast of Nova Scotia, a region with cool summers and
the warmest winters relative to the rest of the Province. Precipitation is high year round, and
mostly falls as rain 59 . The area is also characterized by heavy fogs that roll in off the ocean.
During the late summer and fall, the coast is vulnerable to storms and hurricanes that move up
from tropical latitudes. Storm activity increases into the fall when ocean waters are warmest 60 .
Three of the worst storms to hit the Lunenburg area in recent years were Hurricane Juan in
September of 2003, Tropical Storm Noel in November of 2007, and Hurricane Earl in September
of 2010. Juan brought strong winds of over 150km/hr. Combined with local tide and wave action,
this produced a 0. 7 m storm surge in Lunenburg Bay 61 . In times of high winds and strong tides,
such as occurred during Hurricane Juan, currents through the channels can become extremely
rapid and strong 62 . Hurricane Juan caused extensive damage to roadways, beaches, and
agricultural land in the Lunenburg area. Hurricane Earl did not produce nearly as much damage
as did Juan; however it brought winds in excess of 100km/hr and launched waves onto the
shores of Lunenburg County 63 . The damage caused by these storms along coastal roadways at
Crescent Beach, Green Bay, and Blue Rocks demonstrates the vulnerability of the region’s
coastline. Erosion of beaches and dune systems caused by aggressive storms further increases
the vulnerability of the area to future storm impacts.
The natural landscape surrounding Lunenburg is characterized by slate bedrock overlain by thick
drumlins of glacial till. Abundant rivers and streams flow through the area, carrying drumlin
sediments out to the coast where they are deposited on beaches interspersed between drumlin
headlands and slate outcroppings. These coastal features are themselves eroded by wave
action, their sediments adding to those deposited on the beaches. Sediments range from finer
sands to cobbles and coarse fragments of shale, resulting in a large variation in beach types.
Most of the till in the Lunenburg area is derived from the local slate bedrock and, accordingly, is
fairly fine in texture. This has had important influence on the development of soils and
wetlands 64 . To the west of the LaHave River, soils formed on the area’s abundant drumlins are
loamy and well-drained. These drumlin soils were selected by settlers for their high agricultural
potential relative to the rest of the area. Today, agriculture is still important in parts the of
Lunenburg area, particularly Christmas tree farms. In the depressions between the drumlins,
water collects causing poor drainage and the proliferation of wetlands. To the east of the LaHave
River, soils are generally even finer in texture and so promote even more the development of
wetlands 65 .
58 Statistics Canada, 2006.
59 Environment Canada, 2011; Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History.
60 Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History.
61 Wang et al., 2007.
62 Ibid.
63 Corcoran, 2010.
64 Davis and Browne, 1996.
65 Ibid.
15

The forest composition around Lunenburg has also been very much a product of the drumlins’
influence on both soil development and land use patterns. The species composition is typical of
well-drained, sandy, and loamy till soils formed over glacial features such as drumlins and
eskers, but also reflects historical disturbances such as logging, clearing for agriculture, or fire 66 .
The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg spans across three watersheds. From southwest to
northeast, these are the Herring Cove and Medway River Watershed, the LaHave River
Watershed, and the Gold River Watershed 67 . The rivers of these watersheds carve sediments
out of drumlins and carry them to the coast. Deposition of fine sediments along the shore has
lead to abundant coastal wetlands. Tidal marshes, salt marshes, eel grass flats, and wide river
estuaries of the area provide unique and important habitats for a variety of wildlife. Several
species of shorebirds and waterfowl, including some species at risk, breed in specific pockets
along the coast. In particular, this includes the Piping Plover, the Atlantic Puffin, Leach’s Stormpetrel,
the Razorbill, the Lack Guillemot, Gulls, Cormorants, and the Great Blue Heron. The Rednecked
Grebe uses the area as an overwintering ground 68 .
The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg’s coastal settlement is typical for the province.
Fishing villages cluster around habours and small inlets or string out along a road that parallels
the shore. The historic architecture, exceptional ocean vistas, sheltered coves and sandy
beaches of this storied part of the province have drawn modern residential development as well.
Recreational and retirement homes and tourism developments are replacing fisheries and other
industrial infrastructure in small fishing ports. The population and social institutions, while typical
for rural, coastal Nova Scotia, are now changing as communities that have existed for 250 years
are experiencing a conversion to an aging population of retirees and summer residents rather
than a blend of young and mid-life families and elders. Servicing such a long coastline of
dispersed population is challenging for any municipality. Here, roads hug the shore for great
distances, often extending as the only egress along long peninsulas. Bridges and causeways
connect across rivers and also connect populated islands to the mainland. Significant social
services cluster in the towns (Bridgewater and Lunenburg), often long distances from where rural
people live. Climate change impacts of rising sea level, storm surge and erosion present
challenges for such a coastally-oriented settlement pattern and its economic and social systems.
66 Ibid.
67 Ibid.
68 Ibid.
16

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